


Over and Over

by ami_ven



Series: How About Forever [25]
Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Community: writerverse, Established Relationship, Fluff, Future Fic, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-24
Updated: 2020-07-24
Packaged: 2021-03-04 20:00:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 555
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25482037
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ami_ven/pseuds/ami_ven
Summary: “That’s how all of this started.  You kissed me.”
Relationships: Rodney McKay/John Sheppard
Series: How About Forever [25]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/77062
Comments: 16
Kudos: 68





	Over and Over

**Author's Note:**

> Written for LJ community "writerverse" phase 23, challenge 01, prompt 12 “A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person.” (Mignon McLaughlin)

“You kissed me,” said Rodney.

John smiled at him, only a few inches away. “Good to know your observational skills are still up to par.”

“No, I mean, that’s how all of this started. You kissed me.”

“Oh,” said John. “Yeah, I did.”

“Why?”

“Because…” John said. “Because we’d just come back from that mission to P1X-9134, and nobody was hurt. Because we were all happy. Because you were ranting about whatever experiment you’d been working on. Because you looked like you should be kissed and I really wanted to be the person to do it.”

“Sheppard,” said Rodney. “Why didn’t you say anything?”

“Because…” said John again. “Because I knew you wanted kids and I knew I did, too. And I knew – I thought I knew – we couldn’t do that together, but I wanted…”

“What?” Rodney asked, gently.

“You,” said John, more a breath than a word. “I thought if I didn’t say anything, if we never _ever_ talked about it, then when you finally found some hot blonde to have your genius babies, it would be easier to let you go.”

“ _John_ …”

“But you were already my best friend and I just kept falling in love with you, over and over, knowing I couldn’t give you what you wanted from a partner. Until… until I could.”

“The Ancient genderswap machine,” said Rodney, then scowled. “You told me you were thinking about Teyla! About her being pregnant and you having babies and—”

“I did!” John caught Rodney’s flailing hands in both of his own, holding them over his heart. “I didn’t know what the machine would do until after it did it, remember? I had been thinking about Teyla being pregnant, about me having babies – I mean, not _having_ babies, not like that – but I didn’t even think about… not until Carson told me it was all working.”

“Is that…?” Rodney began. “Is that why you were freaking out? Not because you were suddenly a woman, but because…?”

“I didn’t know how to ask you,” John admitted. “I thought maybe it _was_ just a casual thing for you, us…”

“Having sex?”

“Yes, that. But you… you got me to tell you anyway.” He managed a smile. “You always get me to talk, somehow.”

But Rodney was still frowning. “John, it’s been _twenty years_. Why didn’t you tell me then? Or after? Or ever!?”

“Because it didn’t matter,” said John. “Because it all worked out.”

“Yes, but…” Rodney gently pulled his hands free, to cup them around John’s face, thumbs stroking lightly at his jaw. “Listen to me,” he said, his voice low and serious. “You were enough, John. I love Zoe and Isaac, more than I ever knew I could, but if we’d never had them, if we’d never found that machine, you would have been enough. You would have been _more_ than enough.”

John seemed to have run out of words – he pulled Rodney in for a long, deep kiss.

“So,” said Rodney, when they broke for air, settling his hands more comfortably on John’s hips. “Over and over, huh? When was the last time you fell in love with me?”

John smiled again, deepening the crows’ feet at the corners of his eyes. “This morning, at breakfast. You have a way with oatmeal, McKay.”

Rodney laughed, and kissed him again.

THE END


End file.
